


thick as thieves

by spilled_notes



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Holby City
Genre: Crossover, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-18 03:04:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11282454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spilled_notes/pseuds/spilled_notes
Summary: A surprise patient on AAU while Bernie is in Ukraine scares the life out of Serena - but then turns out to be a most valuable font of information about the trauma surgeon.





	thick as thieves

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a Tumblr prompt: I wish you would write a fic where... while Bernie is in Kiev Kate Stewart, Bernie's sister or cousin or whatever, ends up on AAU for some reason. When she sees her, Serena thinks she's Bernie. When Bernie comes back, she finds they have become thick as thieves and shared stories about the trauma surgeon.

Serena takes a steeling breath before she swipes her card and pushes through the doors onto AAU.

‘Good morning all,’ she calls brightly, a smile pasted on her face to fight the Bernie-less gloom.

And then she glances around the ward and freezes, eyes wide and mouth dropping open.

 _I know all I can think of is how much I want her back, but this was definitely_ not _what I meant._

‘Sorry,’ she breathes to the porter who walks into her, but still can’t move.

Because there, lying in bed three, is–

‘Bernie.’

Suddenly she can’t move fast enough, dodges trollies and nurses and F1s until a hand around her elbow stops her in her tracks. She whirls around, opens her mouth to snap but before she can make a sound Raf is speaking.

‘It’s not her,’ he says quickly, watching as Serena’s fear-filled eyes dart between him and the woman in the bed. ‘It’s not Bernie,’ he repeats.

‘Then– But–’ she stammers, lets him guide her into the office and into her chair. ‘Who the hell is she, Raf?’

‘Kate Stewart. Caused quite a stir when they brought her in, I can tell you.’

‘Yes I, uh, I imagine she did,’ Serena murmurs, fingers fluttering around her neck, her collarbones, her pendant.

*

Serena avoids Ms Stewart for as long as she can, but then an oh so familiar voice calls her name as she’s passing the foot of her bed. She feels her heart constrict, has to take a breath and clear her throat before she can turn to her.

‘Mind telling me why everyone’s looked like they’ve seen a ghost the first time they’ve looked at me today? Yes, I did notice,’ she adds, when Serena blushes and drops her gaze to the floor.

‘You, uh, you share a striking resemblance to someone who works – worked – here.’

‘Not a trauma surgeon, by any chance?’

Serena’s head snaps up, and she stares at Kate.

‘That would explain things,’ Kate smiles. ‘She never did tell me which ward she was on – not the best at communication, my darling cousin.’

‘No, I, uh, I had noticed,’ Serena says with a mirthless laugh. ‘Cousins, hm? You could almost be her twin,’ she adds softly, finally moving closer.

And she could, she’s the spit of her, although now Serena looks more carefully there are subtle differences. Her eyes are the same rich, deep brown but without the worry that so often haunts Bernie’s. Her hair is much tidier too, looks like it had seen a brush before whatever happened to dishevel her and bring her here. And Kate holds herself differently: even in a hospital bed she has the same air of casual power that surrounds Bernie but is far more relaxed, far less rigid.

‘Left you in the lurch, did she?’ Kate asks quietly, careful not to be overheard.

Serena looks at her sharply, then sighs and nods. She opens her mouth to elaborate, but before she can speak Morven calls to her.

 _Probably a good thing_ , she thinks as she excuses herself and walks across the ward.

*

She’s wading through her inbox later when there’s a tap at the door, looks up to see Kate leaning against the door frame with her hands in her pockets.

‘Wondered if you fancied a drink at all, now I’ve been given the all clear?’

Serena hesitates, opens her mouth to decline and then closes it again.

Kate glances over her shoulder, strides further into the office.

‘Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but I’d rather like to get to know the woman who’s made Bernie do a runner. ‘Not–’ she adds quickly, before Serena can protest– ‘that it’s your fault. I know her far too well to think that.’

‘Oh, why not?’ Serena sighs, logging off her computer. ‘Maybe you can even help me understand her better.’

‘I’m not sure about that,’ Kate laughs. ‘I do have plenty of stories I could share, though.’

‘Well why didn’t you just say so?’

*

They don’t go to Albie’s, because this isn’t a conversation Serena wants to have when she’s surrounded by her colleagues, instead go to the bar of Kate’s hotel. A drink quickly turns into dinner, because as soon as the table next to them gets food Kate is reminded of her hospital lunch and is suddenly starving. Serena can look at Kate without her chest tightening now, can hear her voice without flinching – and she has to eat too, so why not together?

Between mouthfuls they talk, Serena of Bernie now and Kate of Bernie growing up. It’s a relief to talk properly to someone about her, Serena finds. To talk to someone outside the rumour mill, someone who isn’t going to repeat any of it to anyone else she knows. To know she won’t hear her own words, mangled and twisted, on the ward tomorrow.

At the end of the evening, when Kate is starting to look drawn and tired and Serena sternly sends her off to bed, they exchange numbers.

‘I’m around for a few more days, I expect. If you haven’t had your fill of tales of Bernie’s childhood it would be nice to see you again.’

*

Serena doesn’t really mean to but she finds herself texting Kate the following afternoon, finds herself in the hotel bar after dinner with Jason. They talk about Bernie again, yes, but also about Serena’s work, Kate’s wife, places they’ve both been to – and Serena thinks she might have made a friend.

She’s there again the next evening, and has to quash her disappointment when Kate tells her she’s heading back to London in the morning.

‘Thank you,’ she says when they part.

‘For what?’ Kate frowns.

‘Spending so much time talking to a stranger.’

‘Not a stranger any more,’ Kate smiles, and then sighs. ‘I love my cousin dearly but she can be a right idiot sometimes. I hope she’ll come to her senses, but whatever happens I hope you’ll stay in touch?’

‘I’d like that,’ Serena smiles, and then finds herself being drawn into a tight hug before being pushed outside and into a taxi.

That night Kate sends a text to her cousin. An email too, just to be on the safe side, the message exactly the same in each: ‘Get your arse back ASAP, Wolfy. Or I’ll set my dogs on you.’

She considers sending a carrier pigeon as well but decides against it. And, tempting as it is, sending one of the ravens would be a gross misuse of Crown property. Although she might just contemplate it if Bernie ignores her.

*          *          *

It’s the little things that catch Bernie’s attention, things she’s certain she never told Serena because, let’s face it, she might have changed and she might be trying but she’s still not exactly verbose. And the way Serena seems to understand her more deeply now, the way she doesn’t ask her to explain why she is the way she is even though she knows she must be curious, because that’s the way Serena is.

And then she comes out of theatre, tired but buoyed by success, to hear Serena’s laugh ringing from their office, opens the door and freezes.

‘Kate?’ she manages, eyes flicking between the two of them, her bemused expression all but begging one of them to tell her what’s going on.

‘Hello you,’ Kate grins, jumping up and pulling Bernie into a tight hug.

‘I’ve invited Kate for dinner tonight,’ Serena says casually. ‘You don’t mind, do you, darling?’

‘No, no, not at all. How– how do you two even know each other?’

‘Got knocked out on a job, ended up here,’ Kate explains. ‘I gave poor Serena quite the shock.’

‘I’ll bet,’ Bernie mutters. ‘And you’ve, what, been in touch ever since?’

‘Precisely,’ Serena smiles.

‘Not all our family is shit at communicating,’ Kate says pointedly.

‘Far from it. Font of information, this one,’ Serena says, eyes glinting.

‘Been swapping stories about me, have you?’

‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ Serena says with a wink.

*

Serena leaves the hospital that night sandwiched between Bernie and Kate, one arm linked through each of theirs, ignoring the stares of their colleagues, not caring in the slightest about the gossip certain to be tearing through the wards before they’ve even left the car park.

‘According to the rumour mill tomorrow,’ she murmurs as they pass through the front doors of Wyvern Wing, ‘I suspect I’m going to be the luckiest woman in all Holby, going home with the pair of you.’

She feels Bernie stiffen against her, but Kate honks a laugh just as ridiculous as Bernie’s and apparently it’s catching because in an instant Serena finds both her ears being assaulted and has to duck her head and pull away from them. She watches them lean into each other, fighting for breath. Watches as every time they start to quiet they catch each other’s eye and start up all over again, until they’re both doubled over and wheezing.

‘You two must have been a nightmare as kids,’ Serena says fondly, rolling her eyes at them. ‘It’s a good job Jason’s out tonight, I’m not sure he’d cope with this racket.’


End file.
